A Muggle Meet Cute
by LadyKenz347
Summary: Hermione Granger is rubbish at first dates...not to mention blind dates. But she's determined to get this one over with, even if it's with the wrong bloke.


Downing the last of her wine, Hermione stood. With sweaty palms, she smoothed the non-existent wrinkles of her dress and squared her shoulders. It was just _one_ blind date. Just one. And if it went horribly, she'd get up and walk out and never see the tosser again.

_Merlin, she hated Ginny Potter._ Such was the issue with growing up with boys for best friends: you inherited their wives. Hermione was not interested in such inheritances. Women friends led to ridiculous dates with blond prats in pretentious suits.

She'd been watching him for almost half an hour now, she'd been impressed that he'd arrived early, at the very least. And his face was handsome, *more* than handsome if she were being honest. He was bloody gorgeous. Most likely too good looking for her, but, alas, this was the face she'd been given. This is what he was gonna get.

"One drink," she whispered to herself encouragingly. "One drink and you can leave."

She marched across the lounge with a steady determination, her heels clicking against the faux marble flooring and when she stopped in front of him, chin tilted high, she waited. Surely, he was going to introduce himself…Merlin, at least stand and be bloody polite.

Instead, his gray eyes peered up at her with a strange edge of confusion over his drink.

She'd told Ginny to send word that she'd be in a red dress, but this bloke looked liked she'd never phoned at all. With a heavy sigh, she quickly took the seat and offered her, somewhat sweaty, palm to him.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Hermione Granger."

The blond's eyes blew wide and he set his whisky down too much force, his lips quirking up as if she'd told a joke. With a funny little pout, he reached out to grab her hand and shook it once. "Draco Malfoy, how do you do?"

Hermione's brow knit together… she could have sworn Ginny said a different name. Irish or something… Regardless.

"You must know Ginny well," Hermione remarked, sweeping the curls off her shoulder simply for something to do with her hands. "She spoke highly of you."

Draco's brows rose high on his head and he tilted his head back and forth, the same smug smile still pulling on his lips. "Well enough, I suppose." He sat up straighter as the waiter approached but before he could speak, Hermione took control.

"Yes, I'll have a glass of Chardonnay and another whisky for him. Thank you." She'd already handed the waitress her bank card and was turning back to her date when she noticed the wide alarmed set to his eyes. Oh, bollocks. She was doing it again. _Apparently_, women were not to take charge in such matters, according to Ginny. _Apparently_, she was supposed to sit here with her ankles crossed and wait for the gentlemen to order her a shirley temple. Bollocks to that.

"You're rather forward," Draco observed, draining the rest of his glass and leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table. "It's odd. Refreshing, but odd."

"I know what I want and what I don't," Hermione responded with a shrug. "And I don't want to waste time. What is it you do for a living, Draco?"

His tongue darted out to wet his lip, and he chuckled to himself. He seemed rather chuffed at the situation but it was Hermione's impression that the blind date wasn't going quite as well as he seemed to think.

"Family business, boring stuff really." He shrugged, accepting the drinks from the waitress and tipping his glass to her. "Thanks for the drink, by the way."

"Pleasure," she said, sipping from her own. Her voice was brusque, her back straight and the tip of her fingernail tapped impatiently on the stem of her wineglass. "What do you do for fun?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're really good at first dates?" He seemed to be swallowing a laugh and it caused her cheeks to flame. She knew this about herself, it wasn't that she wasn't a right good time under most circumstances… but these situations lent to be uncomfortable in nature. "I feel like I'm being interviewed."

"Sorry," she mumbled, her shoulders sagging. Embarrassment flushed over her cheeks and she groaned as she buried her face in her hands. "I'm not good at this and had Ginny not set up the entire ordeal, I would never have agreed to come. I hate first dates, hate them, even more, when they look like you—"

"_Hey!"_ His mouth gaped. "What's wrong with me? I'm not so bad. I've had many a lady saddle up to my table with no preamble and buy me a drink before."

Hermione glared at him over her wine glass. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with you, that's my point. You look like you've stepped out of a damn magazine and I'm over here with the wild hair and wrinkly dress and the interview questions and…" She sighed a heavy breath, letting her head tip back as she studied the ceiling. "I'm awful at this."

Draco's features flickered with curiosity and he pushed his drink to the side to lean further in. "You're not—maybe let's start over—"

"Hermione?" A man with dusty blond hair stood next to the table, buttoning his suit jacket and seemingly out of breath. She eyed him curiously, her gaze drifting from Draco to the newcomer several times.

"Yes?"

"It's me! Cormac. Ginny said you'd be here in the red dress. She showed me a picture on her mobile, else I wouldn't be sure. Sorry, I'm late, traffic was such a mess—"

Hermione's spine straightened and her head snapped back to the man sharing her table. "You're not my date?" She balked, her jaw hanging open.

Draco chuckled and shook his head. "'fraid not."

"Why on earth would you let me sit down and have a drink?" Rage and embarrassment twinged her vision as she rushed to her feet, snatching her wine glass up.

"You didn't give me much of a choice if you remember." In painful recollection, she relived it. She'd just marched up and took a seat, ordered the drinks and began berating the man with questions about himself…Brilliant.

"Well," she gulped. "I do apologize for the misunderstanding." She blinked several times, ignoring the sinking feeling in her belly that told her maybe to talk to him a little while longer. "Have a good evening."

A lopsided smirk tugged at his features and he tipped his whisky towards her again. "Thanks for the drink. Enjoy your date."

Hermione nodded, feeling Cormac's hand at her back, guiding her away. She looked back only once, catching Draco's gaze as she walked away. What a curious man he was.

It was nearly an hour later and he had spent the entire time speaking about the pretentious dealings of his life; she had spent it drinking two more Chardonnays.

The man was an utter prat. Not only had he been late but he was also terribly boring and narcissistic. And as the minutes ticked on, it took all her strength not to peek over her shoulder to where Draco had been sitting.

"Miss?" Hermione groaned a sigh of relief when the waitress interrupted and she turned to greet her with a false smile. "A gentlemen sent this over—" She set down another glass of wine and Hermione caught her lip to keep from grinning. "Wanted me to tell you that he owed you one."

Hermione managed a glance over her shoulder as Cormac regaled her with his glory days of football at uni and noticed Draco had since left. A small knot sank in her belly. When she turned back, her face no longer able to feign interest she noticed the small strip of paper folded under her glass.

She quickly peeled it open, her eyes dancing along the words scrawled neatly there.

**_For when you're done wasting your time. DM_**

Underneath was his telephone number and Hermione beamed down at the simple note with a wide grin.

"Cormac?" She interrupted his musings. "I'm so sorry, but I've got to go."

Snatching her clutch up, Hermione exited the restaurant without another look back.


End file.
